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John Faustus
Dr. John Faustus was a German alchemist, theologist, and physician who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and acquired extraordinary powers and knowledge after summoning and making a deal with the demon Mephistopheles. History Faustus was born in the German city of Rhodes, and later moved to Wittenberg to be educated by relatives. His intellect and ambition soon made him a prestigious and respected doctor, who became close friends with other alchemists and enthusiasts of magic and occultism, such as Valdes and Cornelius (the latter implied to be none other than Agrippa). In one of his occult rituals, Faustus managed to summon Mephistopheles, and ordered the demon to serve him, reasoning that he would have more power than any other man on the planet. Mephistopheles, after consulting with his master, Lucifer, agreed to this in exchange for Faustus' soul, which at the end of the doctor's life would belong to Lucifer himself. The arrogant Faustus, who didn't believe in the eternity of the soul, and cared only for life and not afterlife, feared neither God nor the Devil, and thought he had nothing to lose with this arrangement. He believed that when he died, his soul would just cease to be, and it didn't matter to whom he sold it. As soon as the deed was concluded, Faustus found himself surrounded by Mephistopheles and several lesser demons, all ready to do his bidding. He could summon them at any time and use the magic they granted him to conjure anything from gold to rainstorms. However, Faustus also found that there were limits to what the demons could do. His desire for the loveliest young woman in Germany to be his wife could not be granted, as Mephistopheles explained that marriage was a holy union. The most he could do was offer a female demon as a wife, to which Faustus reacted with disgust. He was also forbidden from talking about God or the Bible. For the next 24 years, Mephistopheles served Faustus dutifully, giving him extended knowledge about the universe, from botany to astronomy. Whenever Faustus wondered about his fate, the good and bad "angels" of his conscience argued; the good one insisting that Faustus could still be saved by God if he repented, and that it wasn't too late; while the bad angel claimed the opposite. Lucifer himself appeared to reprehend Faustus when the latter spoke about God and Jesus Christ. Wishing to placate his master and make use of his powers, Faustus embraced his unholy nature and traveled to the Vatican itself to torment the Pope. He also used his magic to impress the Emperor and members of the nobility. At the end of his life, Faustus was dragged to Hell by demons, in spite of the prayers of his friends, and in accordance to the terms of the contract. Appearances *''The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus'', by Christopher Marlowe (1592) Notes *This character was inspired by folk legends about the life and death of the real German scholar, occultist and alleged con man named Johann Georg Sabellicus Faust, who was indeed a contemporary of Agrippa, and whose body was found mutilated after death. Within his occult books is found the name of a demon, "Mephostophiles". Category:Fictionalized Characters Category:Sentient Beings Category:Sapient Beings Category:Humans Category:Wizards Category:Doctors Category:Alchemists Category:Dead Characters Category:Males Category:German Characters Category:Characters Debuting in 1592 Category:Creatures Created by Christopher Marlowe Category:Literary Creatures Category:Live Action Creatures